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WPHL's WB17 News at Ten

O

odomski

Guest
FTVLive is reporting that WPHL Channel 17 is shutting down their entire news department as of December 10. From that point, WCAU will produce the 10:00 newscast for WPHL. A source told the website that WCAU may hire a few of the WPHL news staffers. Others will be out of work.

Proper credit has been given to FTVLive.com for this information.
 
> FTVLive is reporting that WPHL Channel 17 is shutting down
> their entire news department as of December 10. From that
> point, WCAU will produce the 10:00 newscast for WPHL. A
> source told the website that WCAU may hire a few of the WPHL
> news staffers. Others will be out of work.
>
> Proper credit has been given to FTVLive.com for this
> information.

Do any other NBC O&Os produce news for another station that isn't a sister/cousin (like PAX)/etc.? If my limited knowledge is correct, 'CAU would be the first. I would've picked 'PVI, but who am I? :)

Is this something that might be seen on other Trib stations?
<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
 
> > FTVLive is reporting that WPHL Channel 17 is shutting down
>
> > their entire news department as of December 10. From that
>
> > point, WCAU will produce the 10:00 newscast for WPHL. A
> > source told the website that WCAU may hire a few of the
> WPHL
> > news staffers. Others will be out of work.
> >
> > Proper credit has been given to FTVLive.com for this
> > information.
>
> Do any other NBC O&Os produce news for another station that
> isn't a sister/cousin (like PAX)/etc.? If my limited
> knowledge is correct, 'CAU would be the first. I would've
> picked 'PVI, but who am I? :)
>
> Is this something that might be seen on other Trib stations?
>
It's not, actually; WTVJ already does a newscast for the Miami WB. Interestingly enough this was anchored by Alycia Lane before she left for Philly.
 
> > > FTVLive is reporting that WPHL Channel 17 is shutting
> down
> >
> > > their entire news department as of December 10. From
> that
> >
> > > point, WCAU will produce the 10:00 newscast for WPHL. A
>
> > > source told the website that WCAU may hire a few of the
> > WPHL
> > > news staffers. Others will be out of work.
> > >
> > > Proper credit has been given to FTVLive.com for this
> > > information.
> >
> > Do any other NBC O&Os produce news for another station
> that
> > isn't a sister/cousin (like PAX)/etc.? If my limited
> > knowledge is correct, 'CAU would be the first. I would've
>
> > picked 'PVI, but who am I? :)
> >
> > Is this something that might be seen on other Trib
> stations?
> >
> It's not, actually; WTVJ already does a newscast for the
> Miami WB. Interestingly enough this was anchored by Alycia
> Lane before she left for Philly.

Thanks for the additional info/correction.
<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
 
There is an article in today's Philadelphia Daily News by Dan Gross concerning the demise of the WPHL newsroom...if you're interested.
 
> Is this something that might be seen on other Trib stations?

I think you'll see it in other cities where NBC and Tribune both own stations.

You won't see it in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles, but you may see NBC's WRC-4 Washington launch a 10 P.M. local newscast on Tribune's WBDC-50.
 
This is a column by the Philadelphia Daily News' Dan Gross (registration may be required) on WPHL-17 closing it's newsroom and making a deal with WCAU-10 to produce a 10 P.M. newscast for the station.

I am surprised that WPHL would still be producing local news until December 10th. I expected that WPHL might pull the plug sooner and get the WCAU-produced 10 P.M. newscast on the air ASAP. In fact, I thought that WPHL might pull the plug immediately and run an off-network sitcom on an interim basis in the 10 P.M. slot until such time as the WCAU-produced 10 P.M. newscast was ready to premiere.

While WPHL co-anchors Mary Stoker-Smith and Scott Engler could move over to WCAU and co-anchor the WCAU-produced newscast on WPHL, I suspect WCAU 6 and 11 P.M. co-anchors Renee Chenault-Fattah and Tim Lake will probably end up adding the 10 P.M. newscast on WPHL to their work schedules.

One question: Will this be a half-hour newscast (as WPHL's in-house newscast has been over the last couple of years), or be a full hour (as WPHL's in-house newscast used to be)??
 
> Do any other NBC O&Os produce news for another station that
> isn't a sister/cousin (like PAX)/etc.? If my limited
> knowledge is correct, 'CAU would be the first. I would've
> picked 'PVI, but who am I? :)
>
> Is this something that might be seen on other Trib stations?
>
It's now being reported that KSWB, the Trib station in San Diego, will shutter its news department soon and that NBC O&O KNSD will launch production of a 10pm newscast for KSWB. KSWB takes its morning news block from sister Trib station KTLA Los Angeles.
 
>
> I am surprised that WPHL would still be producing local news
> until December 10th.
Why? It provides time for an orderly transition. If WPHL were stopping news altogether, sure, you would cut the costs now.

>I expected that WPHL might pull the
> plug sooner and get the WCAU-produced 10 P.M. newscast on
> the air ASAP.
Um, maybe December 10 is ASAP to do things the way they want, adjust schedules, workloads, have time for dry runs, etc.

>In fact, I thought that WPHL might pull the
> plug immediately and run an off-network sitcom on an interim
> basis in the 10 P.M. slot until such time as the
> WCAU-produced 10 P.M. newscast was ready to premiere.
So you'd chase away the few viewers you have for a relatively negligible cost savings? Why? The folks who like the half hour news concept may stay with you this way, instead of fleeing to WTXF.


> One question: Will this be a half-hour newscast (as WPHL's
> in-house newscast has been over the last couple of years),
> or be a full hour (as WPHL's in-house newscast used to be)??
>
Seems unlikely that it would be an hour. The scheduling ramifications would be a nightmare.
 
> >
> > I am surprised that WPHL would still be producing local
> news
> > until December 10th.
> Why? It provides time for an orderly transition. If WPHL
> were stopping news altogether, sure, you would cut the costs
> now.
>
> >I expected that WPHL might pull the
> > plug sooner and get the WCAU-produced 10 P.M. newscast on
> > the air ASAP.
> Um, maybe December 10 is ASAP to do things the way they
> want, adjust schedules, workloads, have time for dry runs,
> etc.
>
> >In fact, I thought that WPHL might pull the
> > plug immediately and run an off-network sitcom on an
> interim
> > basis in the 10 P.M. slot until such time as the
> > WCAU-produced 10 P.M. newscast was ready to premiere.
> So you'd chase away the few viewers you have for a
> relatively negligible cost savings? Why? The folks who
> like the half hour news concept may stay with you this way,
> instead of fleeing to WTXF.
>
>
> > One question: Will this be a half-hour newscast (as WPHL's
>
> > in-house newscast has been over the last couple of years),
>
> > or be a full hour (as WPHL's in-house newscast used to
> be)??
> >
> Seems unlikely that it would be an hour. The scheduling
> ramifications would be a nightmare.
>

Agreed. WPHL also is positioned to solidify their three comedies, with Friends(at 10:30), Will&Grace and now Sex and the City. Fox and CN8 are already there for alternative local news sources.
 
> > Do any other NBC O&Os produce news for another station
> that
> > isn't a sister/cousin (like PAX)/etc.? If my limited
> > knowledge is correct, 'CAU would be the first. I would've
>
> > picked 'PVI, but who am I? :)
> >
> > Is this something that might be seen on other Trib
> stations?
> >
> It's now being reported that KSWB, the Trib station in San
> Diego, will shutter its news department soon and that NBC
> O&O KNSD will launch production of a 10pm newscast for KSWB.
> KSWB takes its morning news block from sister Trib station
> KTLA Los Angeles.
>

I wonder if possibility was ever there, for WPHL and WPMT to share some news block, probably morning. I guess it would have to come from WPMT, if so, now. Both being PA oriented; but, Jerry Springer likely has okay ratings and WB17 won't do anything but run it 3 times or more a day.
 
Why would an NBC O&O produce a WB affiliate's newscast? What facility will they use? Is WB17 moving into the NBC10 Studios?
>
 
> Why would an NBC O&O produce a WB affiliate's newscast?

More exposure for their brand...oh, and $$$$$.

> What facility will they use? Is WB17 moving into the NBC10
> Studios?
> >
>
Already reported the news will come from NBC 10's facilities, and beyond that there's no change at WPHL...they'd have no reason to move.
 
With the CBS radio stations gone from the NBC10 campus, is NBC10 constructing a smaller second studio for WB17 Newscasts? There could be a potential encroachment problem utilizing NBC10's Studio 3. There are NBC10 logos all over the sets used. I don't think they would coverup the anchor desk, as an example. Any thoughts?
>
 
> There are NBC10 logos all over the sets used.
> I don't think they would coverup the anchor
> desk, as an example. Any thoughts?

I think it depends on how they are going to brand it.
In many markets with similar situations they would brand it something like this:
NBC 10 News at 10 on WB 17

If NBC 10 is in the branding, no new set would be needed.<P ID="signature">______________
WCBS = We're Crazy Buffoons and Schmucks
<a href=http://chuck.spotteddogs.org/tv/>Spotted Dog TV Talk - for all your non-news TV Talk</a></P>
 
> > There are NBC10 logos all over the sets used.
> > I don't think they would coverup the anchor
> > desk, as an example. Any thoughts?
>
> I think it depends on how they are going to brand it.
> In many markets with similar situations they would brand it
> something like this:
> NBC 10 News at 10 on WB 17
>
> If NBC 10 is in the branding, no new set would be needed.
>
I'm not so sure this would be the case, as Dennis Bianchi already said that the WB17 news would "look different" from normal NBC 10 newscasts... which leads me to believe it'll still be branded as WB17 News, with some mention of NBC 10 in the open... ("From the NBC 10 Newscenter, this is WB17 News at 10.")

I'm still going with my assumption that this is going to be a live at 5 type thing... i.e., presented from the chromakey and the plasma pods. They can very easily make it look different that way without having to show all the NBC regalia around the set.
 
Or "WB17 News at 10, Powered by NBC10 News" or "NBC10 News Presents the WB17 News at 10" or "NBC10's WB17 News at 10." The list could go on.

More to point, as HulkieD said, there are plenty of ways to set the show without an overabundance of NBC10 logos. The chromakey is probably the best bet, but you could even do it at the Loew's studio or at the main desk (which really isn't all that marked up; now Fox29's set is marked up, but not as much for NBC10).

> > > There are NBC10 logos all over the sets used.
> > > I don't think they would coverup the anchor
> > > desk, as an example. Any thoughts?
> >
> > I think it depends on how they are going to brand it.
> > In many markets with similar situations they would brand
> it
> > something like this:
> > NBC 10 News at 10 on WB 17
> >
> > If NBC 10 is in the branding, no new set would be needed.
> >
> I'm not so sure this would be the case, as Dennis Bianchi
> already said that the WB17 news would "look different" from
> normal NBC 10 newscasts... which leads me to believe it'll
> still be branded as WB17 News, with some mention of NBC 10
> in the open... ("From the NBC 10 Newscenter, this is WB17
> News at 10.")
>
> I'm still going with my assumption that this is going to be
> a live at 5 type thing... i.e., presented from the chromakey
> and the plasma pods. They can very easily make it look
> different that way without having to show all the NBC
> regalia around the set.
>
<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
 
> Or "WB17 News at 10, Powered by NBC10 News" or "NBC10 News
> Presents the WB17 News at 10" or "NBC10's WB17 News at 10."
> The list could go on.
>
> More to point, as HulkieD said, there are plenty of ways to
> set the show without an overabundance of NBC10 logos. The
> chromakey is probably the best bet, but you could even do it
> at the Loew's studio or at the main desk (which really isn't
> all that marked up; now Fox29's set is marked up, but not as
> much for NBC10).
>
Can't imagine they'd go to the trouble and expense of a downtown-based show just for WB17's anemic viewership. You would end up with much more duplication of tasks in the two locations than you're likely to have if you do it out of Bala Cynwyd. Besides, isn't there talk about not using the hotel studio once the lease/contract is up? Thought they were looking at the idea of converting some of their newfound space into a dedicated studio for 10.
 
When is the hotel studio's lease up? They sure could use a second smaller studio for various other broadcasts. Anyone know of any definitive plans?
 
> Or "WB17 News at 10, Powered by NBC10 News" or "NBC10 News
> Presents the WB17 News at 10" or "NBC10's WB17 News at 10."
> The list could go on.
>
> More to point, as HulkieD said, there are plenty of ways to
> set the show without an overabundance of NBC10 logos. The
> chromakey is probably the best bet, but you could even do it
> at the Loew's studio or at the main desk (which really isn't
> all that marked up; now Fox29's set is marked up, but not as
> much for NBC10).
>

I am gonna wage a guess and say that the presentation will be a lot like the NBC10 broadcasts that used to populate PAX stations. That is, it'll have the NBC10 peacock and time/temp slate, with a WB17 bug chromad above the 10 logo. It'll probably be presented in a "Headline News" old school presentation, with instruction to "turn to NBC 10 News @ 11 for the complete details/latest developments, etc". No need for a special WB17-0nly set.

Personally, I'm shocked WB17 News at Ten lasted as long as it did. <P ID="signature">______________
I've done it all...HOO HOO...tell 'em, Fred!
FOX News Alert: YOU SUCK!!! Ya like apples?</P>
 
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